


For Thanks

by fawnjohn



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Fawnlock, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 21:10:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawnjohn/pseuds/fawnjohn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thank you just doesn't seem like good enough words for what Fawnlock is trying to tell John.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Thanks

**Author's Note:**

> Finally on Ao3! Thought I might go ahead and move this over here. Will hopfully be posting more fic soon. Also unbetaed and unbritpicked Feel free to point anything out!

Like a lot of things that came with John, English lessons could be some what of a mixed bag. On some days, Fawnlock awaited then eagerly, rushing John insistingly through his morning chores, ready for new ways to communicate with John. Other days he couldn’t see what was wrong with they way they talked now, and simply wanted a belly rub before napping on John’s sofa.

Today was lucky enough to be the later. John had pulled out an index an animals, and had been going through teaching the names for each one. Fawnlock had surprised John with his knowledge on some of the creatures, and was patience with his many questions on the ones he had never seen. They went through the book quickly, Fawnlock making a game of naming each animal or a carnivore or herbivore based on their teeth, before John named the creature and told him whether he was correct or not.

He always was.

“Fantastic.” John said, after Fawnlock had correctly deduced the chimpanzee’s were omnivorous. Fawnlock had grown use to, but never tired of John’s seemingly endless compliments. “Really absolutely extraordinary. Now tell me how exactly-“

Fawnlock felt his chest welled up with pride and surprisingly gratitude as John continued to prattle on.

Fawnlock knew he really wouldn’t want to go back to life without John. His boredom was now constantly driven away. Never before had his many gift’s been praised and treated as something worth sharing. He felt he didn’t yet know the words to truly let John know how he felt. Thank you seemed so inadequate.

Forgoing words altogether, Fawnlock leaned in and met John’s mouth with his own. John’s own mouth had still been open and talking and mashed against the outside of Fawnlock’s own lips in a mockery of what might have been a kiss.

Not hardly a second had passed when John had pulled back, stood up, and walked half way across the room. He turned to face his friend but kept his eyes to the floor, ineffectively trying to hide the blush creeping along his face.

“I think that’s enough for today.” He said quickly, his tone falsely light. “You are doing well though. Really well. We can look at more tomorrow okay. After I finish up some things.”

But there wasn’t any more tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the one after that. John kept himself busy and forced the faun to stay out of his hair. He would hardly stand to be in the same room as him for any long period of time, and never bothered to look him in the eye. There had been no English lessons, no games, and no belly rubs. No more hugs and hellos, only good byes and not today’s. After a few days of denial Fawnlock had to accept that John was ignoring him. He felt he should have known the kiss wasn’t the right thing to do, figuring where he had gotten the idea.

It had happened a number of seasons ago, when Fawnlock’s antlers had first started budding and before John had come. He had been in a good mood because Mousey Hooper, who was actually a rat despite her name, had found a corpse that she was sure Fawnlock would be excited about. Fawnlock had always had morbid interest in death and its causes, and the eager to please scavenger always showed him the best corpses.

In this case it was a rabbit that had been bitten by a snake, but not eaten. Fawnlock had never had the chance to examine the effects of poison before, and was in glee. He leaned in close, examining the bite, noticing how little blood their was, and marveling at how the flesh around the bite had deteriorated so quickly. He spoke in awe and called Mousey a brilliant scavenger when she scampered up his side and pecked him on the corner of his mouth.

The young faun rubbed the side of his mouth, surprised quiet, and stared at the rat who was still on his shoulder. “Thank you.” he said, simply because it seemed like the right thing to do. “What was that for?” he asked. He had only ever been kissed by Mummy, and on one startling occasion Moosecroft, but they had always just been pecks on the forehead before sending him off to bed. And they didn’t happen as often now that he was nearing adulthood.

Mousey’s blush was apparent through her fur. “For thanks.” She sputtered.

“Okay. Your welcome?” he tried, not sure what to make of the strange gesture. Seemingly satisfied, Mousey ran down his side and out of the clearing, leaving the faun to his observations.

After that Mousey settled for normal thank you’s, and accepted his own with a blush like normal. He had never felt the need to repeat or relive the gesture. He didn’t think of it whenever he begrudgingly thanks Mummy or Moosecroft out of necessity. Nor when he thanked Mrs. Hootson when she told one of her more interesting stories. And especially not when he ‘thanked’ Elkstrade for keeping Moosecroft busy when he was trying to avoid his brother.

But it had seemed like the natural thing to do at the time, and Fawnlock had almost thought that maybe Mousey had been right about something. At least at first. Now he was feeling very confused and lonely, something he wasn’t very familiar with, wanting to regret his decision but unable too.

Near the end of day three, and fixed himself on John’s sofa and forced himself to wait patiently for him to get home. He didn’t have to wait long, with John bustling through the door removing his outerwear before noticing the faun on the sofa. He nodded briefly as a greeting, before retreating into the other room to make tea.

“You are upset. At me.” Fawnlock said, following John into the kitchen. It wasn’t a question.

John froze were he stood. “No. I’m not.” he said, returning to fiddle with the kettle.

“Liar.” Fawnlock said. “You don’t talk. You don’t see. Why? Why it upset you?”

John turned, surprised to see the faun so close. He couldn’t help but allow a small smile as he looked up at his only friend. Last year when they had met it had been the other way around. It fell from his face with a sigh. “It didn’t upset me. I’m more… confused.” He sat at the table. Fawnlock joined him, looking at the human expectantly, waiting for him to continue. “Why did you kiss me?” he asked. It sounded rehearsed because it was.

“For thanks.”

“For thanks?” John asked. “Thanks for what exactly?”

“Lessons.” Fawnlock said with resolve. “Games, rubs, time… compliments.” he admitted.

He would have sworn something had literally be lifted off his friend’s shoulders. “Is that all?”

Fawnlock considered for a second before just nodding. He couldn’t phrase the other reasons to himself, why try to tell John? “Is that bad?”

John shook his head. “No. Its not.” he said, turning the words over in his head. “Kissing is something you do with someone you’re really close too. It doesn’t have to be for thanks. Its because you want to.”

“We are close.” Fawnlock insisted.

Whatever John was going to say was interrupted by kettle going off and he rushed to finish making his tea. Fawnlock leaned in his chair, best deciding how best to ask John if he could try kissing him again. His worries of being ignored again lingered in the back of his head, but he was equally concerned at how he didn’t think he had gotten it right the first time. Asking seemed like the best course of action.

Before he form the words to bring it up, John finished, placing a second cup in front of Fawnlock. He only hesitated a second before gently grabbing one of Fawnlock’s large ears, and pulling him up to kiss his forehead.

“C’mon. I think we have time for a lesson before bed.” And Fawnlock decided his question could wait another day.


End file.
